Falling Like a Girl
by the.little.things.matter
Summary: .'AU' Sakura had always been one of the boys. It's all high-fives, punches in the air, and she knew all their secrets and love interests. Is there anything wrong with the new guy falling for her 'unique' personality?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**

**Summary:**

_(__AU)  
Sakura had always been one of the boys.  
She's not a lesbian, but the guys seem to treat her like she was.  
It's all high-fives and punches in the air. And she knew all their secrets and love interests._

_So,__ there's nothing wrong with the new guy falling for her _unique_ personality. Right?

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_

_**FALLING LIKE A GIRL**_

_"Where do I belong forever?  
In whose arms? The time? And place?"  
_- My World_ by Avril Lavigne  
_

**Chapter One**

Her hips moved rhythmically as she walked down the noisy hallway of the university's Engineering building. Her long auburn hair swayed gracefully, a few strands flying over her porcelain skin.

A loud whistle echoed from the set of tables and chairs in front of the stairs at the end of the hall. Sakura Kinomoto turned her head with gleaming, emerald-green eyes. "Hey, jackasses," she greeted the group of noisy people at the table.

The men laughed loudly. One of them stood up and approached her.

"It's not nice to call your _senpai_ jackasses you know." A man with dark-brown hair placed an arm around her neck and started ruffling Sakura's glamorous hair.

"Ya-ma-za-ki-_senpai_!" Sakura exclaimed with a grin on her face. "Don't you know that girls hate it when you ruin their nicely groomed hair-do's?!" She tried to stop the hand that continued to mess up what she was trying to fix.

"Thing is, I'm not even sure if _you're_ a girl," remarked another guy with raven hair. Eriol Hiiragizawa had these wise-looking glasses that brought out his sapphire-blue eyes. Anyone who knew him would say that it was just one of his props to fool the naive, female population.

Loud taunts echoed from the tables.

"Of course I am!" she replied with a wider grin as she and Takashi Yamazaki walked towards the noisy group. "Otherwise I wouldn't be this sexy and adorable now would I?" She was obviously being playful.

They all laughed at Sakura's own comment about herself, some of them even clapping a few times.

"That's our girl!" Eriol exclaimed as he held out a fist to the auburn-haired beauty, who punched it slightly with her own.

"So," the one with pitch-black hair started. Rai Mikage's the most gorgeous of all the men hanging out at the place – according to more than half of the female population. His eyes were hazel-brown in color and his hair was falling freely on his face, which he usually pushes back making him look, if possible, even sexier. "Shifting next year?" he asked after they'd all settled down from the usual morning greeting to their "only girl".

Sakura shook her head. "Not a chance!" She laid her back on the long bench's back rest and let out a sigh. "I barely passed Calculus 1 you know. And besides, I'm already attached to you ME (Mechanical Engineering) guys." She grinned again.

Takashi had his teasing face on. "'Attached' you say. It's just because you don't get along with the other girls isn't it?" His eyebrows were moving in all possible directions. He was pretty sure he'd hit a nerve or two.

"You look like a maniac, _senpai_," Sakura told him boldly as she stared at him with apathetic eyes. She sounded a little cold, but the guys knew she was just returning the favor.

"Oh you mean when I do this?" he replied and exaggerated the movement of his eyebrows even more.

Sakura and the others laughed.

"Uh… Excuse me?" a voice interrupted the little commotion.

All heads turned to whoever was the owner of the new voice, some, even raising their eyebrows.

"What can we do for you?" Eriol was the one who asked. He flashed the guy a friendly smile.

The guy smiled in return. His messy, chestnut-brown hair covered a part of his fierce, amber eyes. "I was told to go here to get an excuse letter for the freshmen orientation tomorrow," he replied.

Sakura stood up with an "Oh," and walked towards her personal locker near the long bench she was sitting on a few seconds ago. "Do you know other people who need them?" she asked as she continued on searching her not-so-clean locker.

The guy shook his head. "No. My sister just asked me to get one for her."

"Sister?" Seichi Okina, a half-American, half-Japanese guy with blonde hair and raven eyes echoed. "You mean _you're_ not a freshman?" Anyone could see that he was obviously taking an interest on the new guy.

Again, he shook his head. "I'm actually in my second year here."

"Oh, same as Sakura then," Rai inserted a useless remark. It seemed kind obvious that the "Sakura" he referred to was the only girl present.

"What course?" Seichi questioned him.

"Mechanical Engi-" the guy replied until he was cut off by Sakura's voice.

"Found it!" she exclaimed as she handed him a piece of paper. "Bummer, I thought I could get off handing them all out if you knew who needed them," she told him. "Oh, and careful, I think Okina-senpai likes you," she added in a lower voice, her head pointing who Seichi was.

The guy was slightly taken aback. "Eh? Is he gay or something?" he asked in the same low tone.

Sakura shook her head. "Nah. He just has this weird hobby of obsessing over anything and anyone that's cute," she explained. "Hey, you should take it as a compliment. It means you're cute."

"What are you two whispering about?" Seichi interrogated mischievously.

"Nothing," Sakura replied with an innocent smile. "Oh by the way, I'm Kinomoto Sakura. And you are?" She stuck her hand out for a friendly shake.

"Li Syaoran," the guy replied, taking her hand.

"He's in second year too, Sakura. Mech. Engg.," Rai informed her.

"Really?" Sakura exclaimed. "That's great! Now, I can ask you for help. Since _senpai-tachi_ are all kinda useless."

Eriol's eyebrow quirked. "What do you mean useless?!" he replied acting as if offended by Sakura's words.

"That one's Hiiragizawa Eriol," Sakura introduced him instead. "Don't be fooled by his glasses, he's _way_ opposite that wise-look he's desperately trying to establish." She received a playful glare from the latter.

"The tall one's Mikage Rai. He's…" For a minute, she looked thoughtful. "Okay, I don't have anything to insult him with." She flashed Rai a mischievous grin. "_Yet._"

"Well, you know Okina Seichi." Sakura sent Syaoran a meaningful look. "And then there's Yamazaki Takashi." She gestured over the only remaining member present at the table. "He's… Well, he's the weirdest."

Takashi grinned when Syaoran gave him a wondering look.

"Don't ask. I wouldn't even know where to start."

Syaoran nodded at Sakura's plain answer. "Well, I better get going. It's nice meeting you guys. You're all M.E. students, right?"

They all affirmed it one way or the other.

"You can hang out here whenever you want," Rai told him. "And you can bring your sister too."

"Hey, Rai's interested. Don't bring her here, you hear me?" Eriol remarked as he dodges a pencil thrown his way. "But you're always welcome here."

"Thanks." Syaoran waved a hand as he walked away.

A few seconds after Syaoran left, Sakura turned to Rai and grinned again. "Hey Mikage-senpai, you've got some competition there." She placed her head on one hand. "That guy was one of the so-called 'hotties' around campus."

"Ooh… That's interesting," Seichi remarked with his mischievous face on.

The others gave a crept-out stare. "Gross man! Quit it!" It had always been their expression whenever the "weirdo" was in his obsessed mode.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really a straight guy. Or are you bi-sexual?" Takashi dodged the notebook thrown at him. "I don't know why we even put up with you!" He laughed as he dodged another notebook.

Sakura laughed her head off at the little exhibition. She sighed and stretched out her arms before resting them on the backrest again. "I really couldn't blame him." She glanced at Seichi. "That Syaoran's cute."

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**A/N: **_I know I know, what a boring chapter, it's so plain and ordinary... Hope you still like it though._

_I don't think this one's gonna be serious. I just thought of my sister and poof! I hope the p__lot's gonna make sense though. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. _

_Oh, and __NO FLAMES please. Of course, constructive criticisms are always welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**

**Chapter Two**

"SYAORAN-_nii-chan_!!" a shrilling voice echoed through the mini canteen of the Mathematics building. A seventeen-year-old girl with long black hair and ruby eyes continued to shout all over the place regardless of how much attention she was attracting.

Li Syaoran removed the magazine that protected his face from the sun's harsh rays coming in from outside the window next to where he was sitting. He thought he'd have a quick nap before his next class started. Apparently, someone had other plans for him.

"What do you want, Meiling?" he asked when the cheery girl finally spotted him at the far corner and approached him. He replaced the magazine on his face as he leaned on the chair's backrest. He was hoping he could get away with pretending to listen and catch a few more z's.

Meiling Li sat in front of Syaoran and stretched a hand to remove the magazine. "_Oi_, I'd like you to meet someone."

Syaoran let out a sigh as he tried to face his unwanted guests with his still-half-closed eyes.

"This is Daidouji Tomoyo," Meiling continued. "I met her in my Philosophy class, and she's also in my Trigonometry class."

"So?"

Meling shot him a glare. "Why won't you be polite for a change? I'm introducing her to you. The least you could do is introduce yourself too!"

Tomoyo Daidouji stood silently behind Meiling and kept her head bowed down. She's a shy freshman majoring in Psychology with long, wavy, indigo hair and amethyst eyes.

Syaoran let out another sigh and turned his attention to Tomoyo. "I'm Li Syaoran, Meiling's brother." He extended a hand to her and waited for her to take it. "Nice to meet you."

Upon seeing the extended hand behind her bangs, she tilted her face a little to take a good look at the handsome guy in front of her. She slowly extended her own hand and shook Syaoran's lightly. "Daidouji Tomoyo."

Syaoran stood up from the table and grabbed his back pack. He pushed his way past the table and waved a hand at Meiling. "Later."

"_Onii__-chan_!"

He slowly turned back towards the table. "What?"

"You promised mom you'll assist me whenever," Meiling said in an in-case-you-forgot tone. "Why don't you be a good brother and chauffer us to our next class?"

"I don't want to." Syaoran turned back to his previous direction and started walking.

O.O.O.O.O

"Hey." Rai waved a hand at the two people sitting together on one of the stone benches in the middle of the third floor of the Mathematics building. "You guys don't have classes yet?"

Seichi shook his head. "I have Calculus 3 at one. Until then, I guess I just have to find something to busy myself with," he explained with a mischievous face on. "_Ne_, Rai, wanna –"

"No," Rai cut him off. "I don't wanna get involved with any of your weird hobbies," he added with a playfully serious face. He tapped Sakura's shoulder to get her attention away from the music playing from her mp4 player, ignoring the quiet "hmp" he got from Seichi.

Sakura opened her eyes and raised both eyebrows. "Is Math with Carra really as awful as they say?"

Professor Itsuko Carra is one of the young, terror dons in the university known to have a passing rate of 50% in all her classes – and that is if she's in a good mood when calculating the final grades. But beside the aggravating facts that only half of her class pass, and that she makes one of the hardest examinations in university history, she's still considered one of the best teachers the university has ever hired. You cannot be her student and not learn anything.

Rai nodded and took a seat beside her.

"Hey, you're a genius at math. Even though you complain about how hard her exams are, you're sure to pass."

Rai simply smiled at Sakura's attempt to point out the obvious and removed one of the earphones from Sakura's ears and placed it on his own. Facing the stairs, he smiled when he spotted Syaoran with two young girls chattering cheerfully with one another.

"Hey, look who's here?" He gestured that Sakura look a little to her right.

"Ehhh… Good isn't he?" Sakura remarked upon seeing the two girls. "He certainly knows how to pick his girls. They're both cute."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really a girl or a lesbian, Sakura," Seichi butted in with an impish look on his face.

Sakura shot him a playful glare before repositioning her legs in an Indian seat and closing her eyes again. "How can someone as cute as me be a lesbian?" she snapped back, understandably not totally pissed off. "Sometimes, you really get on my nerves."

Seichi chuckled. For him, it's an accomplishment whenever he's able to hit a nerve or two.

"Although, he does look a little irritated, don't you think?" Rai observed before putting the earphone back in Sakura's ear.

Sakura opened one eye to take a look at Syaoran and closed them again, smiling. "Interesting isn't he?" she said. "If that were you, you'd be smiling your ears off right now."

O.O.O.O.O

"Hurry up or I'll leave you." Syaoran was slowly growing impatient of the slow pace that the two anxious girls chatting behind him had.

"I was just telling Tomoyo-_chan_ how arrogant I think you look," Meiling simply replied.

Syaoran had one of his hands on his pocket while the other held on to his back pack. His head was held straight and he walked with a certain aura of cockiness.

"Whatever," he retorted nonchalantly. "Just hurry up or I'll be late for my class too."

Approaching the third room on the left, Syaoran turned to face Meiling and Tomoyo. "MB321 right?" he asked.

Meiling nodded and murmured a simple "Uhm."

"Well then." He then started walking farther down the hallway to his own class, silently wishing that he wouldn't see them afterwards. He hated being his sister's chaperon, but it wasn't like it was something he could do anything about. _This is all _okaa-sama_'s fault – treating her like a princess all the time,_ he told himself. He longed for the day when his sister becomes independent enough to _not_ want him with her all the time.

A tap on the shoulder snapped Syaoran out of his daydream. Turning, he muttered an "_oi_" when he saw who it was. "Mikage-_senpai_. Right?"

Rai smiled and pushed his hair back like he usually does. "You didn't tell us you knew such pretty girls Li."

"The one with the black hair was my sister," Syaoran simply replied. "The other one was some friend of hers she introduced to me about a moment ago."

"Eh… You're really lucky then," Seichi butted in, placing a hand around Syaoran's shoulders. "You should introduce them to us."

"Don't you have a class to attend to, _senpai_?" He ignored the gross intention to meet his own sister.

"Not really."

Syaoran let out a sigh. "Some other time I guess, I have to go to my class now." It was a pathetic attempt to escape from the weird guys' clutches.

"Ah… Too bad," Seichi said in a phoney-disappointed tone.

Rai pushed his hair back again – something that Syaoran was starting to really get annoyed of. "Well then, Seichi and I are off to go… _somewhere_. Wake Sakura up for us okay?" he pointed to where Sakura was – Indian-sitting with eyes closed and earphones on both ears.

Rai and Seichi walked away quickly even before Syaoran could answer and simply waved a "thanks."

_Guess I have no choice,_ he thought with another sigh. The day was turning out to be more tiring than he had imagined. He couldn't seem to stop sighing, like it was the only thing he was capable of doing.

He tapped Sakura's shoulder lightly when he reached her. "_Oi_," he mumbled when she didn't seem to wake up at the gentle nudge and tapped her again – this time putting more force in it.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on the face looking casually at her. When she realized who it was, she slowly removed the earphones and uncrossed her legs. "Hey," she greeted him.

"Mikage-_senpai_ asked me to wake you up," Syaoran explained before turning around and bearing back to where he was originally headed. "Later."

Sakura instinctively raised an eyebrow. _He's really a very interesting guy,_ she said to herself as she turned her mp4 off and placed them inside her tote bag. She twisted her wrist to look at her watch and quickly snatched her bag when she saw that it was already ten-fifteen. _ Oh shit! I'm already late!_ She walked briskly down the hall and to her room.

She slowly opened the door to take a peek inside. She then pushed it a little more so that her body would fit through the opening when she saw that the professor was already writing something on the board.

_Let's see. I got… Sir Natsu,_ she noted the name written on the board.

Professor Kagero Natsu wasn't the greatest professor of Calculus 2, but he didn't make hard examinations. One would be pretty lucky to get him instead of Professor Carra. "Not ba–"

"Hey you," a voice interrupted her thoughts. Sakura thought she'd gotten inside undetected, which appeared to be a complete misconception. "You're late. Name?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Kinomoto Sakura," she replied. "I'm really sorry _sensei_, I lost track of time."

"Take a seat," Professor Natsu dismissed her with a wave of hand. "I'll let you off the hook this time. I am _so_ not in the mood."

Although Professor Natsu has a very good reputation with the students for being indulgent, he has a problem with attendance and lack of focus on the lessons – when he does make it to one. He has some laziness issues.

Sakura took the vacant seat near the door and placed her bag in front of her on the floor.

_What a really bad this is turning out to be._ She sighed in relief for not getting in trouble.

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**A/N:** _Sorry if this sucked. And that nothing interesting really happened. I have a problem with creating scenarios, especially after the first chapter of the story. I guess it just took too long before I updated this story that I kinda lost my vision of it. Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to pick it up from here so please bear with me. _

_NO FLAMES please!!! Thanks._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**Chapter Three**

"Those jerks," Sakura complained with a sigh, kicking the small stones in her way. She stopped on the next street light and dropped her paper bag down as she desperately tried to fix her disheveled hair on a high ponytail. _Who was the _genius_ who told them that I love my hair in a mess anyway?!_ It had become a routine for the guys to mess with her before they let her go home.

Sakura let out a sigh and smiled to herself before picking up the paper bag again. _Of all people, I found myself hanging out with them._ She let out a chuckle.

She was humming to herself when soft strumming from the house on the corner stopped her from her tracks. She turned her head to the direction of the sound and squinted at the slightly blurry image of a person sitting in a chair in the small garden by the gate.

"That's…" she whispered to herself, trying her best to make out who it was. It looked vaguely familiar. "Uh… Li!"

The figure turned what appears to be its head towards her direction, revealing the messy chestnut brown hair in the glow of the overhead fluorescent.

Sakura jogged towards him when her assumptions were proven to be right. "So this is where you live," she exclaimed, flashing a smile.

Syaoran slowly walked towards the gate and opened it for his surprise guest. "Er… no. I sort of stay here with my sister during school days."

"You must be rich or something to afford this." Sakura stared at the big, two-storey house in front of her. "Can I come in?" She flashed him another innocent smile.

Syaoran hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to make some way for Sakura to enter. "Sure."

Sakura casually walked inside and placed her things down on the table in the garden that welcomed her. She sat comfortably on one of the iron chairs.

"What brings you here?" Syaoran replaced the guitar he was playing a moment ago on his lap.

"I live a block away from here. I go through here when it's already late. The short cut I know doesn't have street lights yet, and it gets pretty scary when it's dark," she voluntarily explained. "I heard you playing the guitar. What song were you playing?"

"Uh, _Vulnerable_."

"By Secondhand Serenade?"

He nodded.

"Go on, play it again," she urged him. "I'll sing with it."

Syaoran hesitated, struck by her cordiality towards him, before nodding. "Okay."

"_Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in, because it's cold outside. It's cold outside._" Sakura entered when she's supposed to.

Syaoran glanced at her as soon as her soothing voice hit his ears. _Not bad._ He kept the comment to himself.

"_Share with me the secrets that you kept in, because it's…_" Sakura thought of what was suppose to be next and grinned shamefully when she couldn't remember at all. "_Hmm-hmm-hmm…_" she continued hesitantly.

Syaoran stopped playing and shot her a playful look. "_Hmm-hmm-hmm?_" he echoed, slightly laughing.

"I forgot the lyrics," Sakura explained, slightly embarrassed. "You can't sue me for forgetting them."

Syaoran broke into a modest laugh. "Who said anything about suing you?"

"Well–" she cut herself off, realizing his point. "It's still no reason to laugh at me!" Sakura gave Syaoran's shoulder a good whack.

"Hey!" Syaoran exclaimed as he rubbed his now slightly sore shoulder. "What was that for?!"

Sakura looked down from embarrassment. "_Gomen_… Habit."

"Man, you hit like a guy." He just couldn't help himself but voice out his thought, which would probably earn him another whack – probably this time on the head – which it did.

"That wasn't nice!" Sakura watched Syaoran caress his now throbbing head.

Syaoran stared blankly at her before breaking into a nice warm laugh.

Sakura joined in. "_Gomen, gomen_."

"Nah, I probably deserved the last one anyway."

Glancing at her watch, Sakura practically jumped from her seat when she saw the smaller hand between eight and nine.

"_Wai_! It's already quarter to nine!" She grabbed her paper bag from the table. "I really should be going. It was nice jamming with you though, Li. Maybe we could do it again some other time."

"Yeah. Sure." Syaoran followed her towards the gate and watched as she stepped out into the street.

Sakura bowed at him and flashed him another smile. "_Ja ne_!" She waved at him as she started to walk away.

Syaoran returned the wave, a small smile playing on his lips. "Queer girl," he told no one in particular, shaking his head. He followed Sakura with his gaze until she disappeared into the darkness.

O.O.O.O.O

"You mean you know where he lives?!" Seichi exclaimed enthusiastically. Half of his body was already across the table to where Sakura sat. "You have to take me there!"

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "_Nande?_ So you can stalk him?" she asked boldly, seeing through the weirdo's actions. "No way."

She told them about what happened the night before as to explain why she was recommending Syaoran as a member of the band Rai was planning to form.

"_Ne_, Mikage-_senpai_, you should seriously consider him." Sakura turned to the gorgeous man beside her. "You have my word for it."

Rai pushed back his hair, as if thinking about it. "Well, if you recommend him, then he should be good."

"He is."

Eriol leaned across the table, a curious look on his face. "Why are you so eager all of a sudden?" He raised an eyebrow.

Sakura simply blinked at him. "_Eh_?"

"Is it because you like him?" he continued.

Almost everybody leaned towards Sakura out of curiosity. It was the first time the idea that Sakura was interested in a guy was brought up. She had always blended in with the guy crowd.

It took a few seconds for Sakura to process what was making everybody so inquisitive. When she finally did, she laughed at their incomprehensible faces. "I like him like I like you, Mikage-_senpai_, Okina-_senpai_, Yamazaki-_senpai_, and _minna-san_."

Everybody returned to their places and sighed.

"What?! Can't I _not_ be different from other girls?" she exclaimed, weird-out by their reactions.

Rai patted her head. "Of course you can. That's why we love you so much in the first place."

Sakura couldn't help but blush at the statement and simply lowered her head in desperation to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Sakura-_chan_ is blushing!" Seichi leaned across the table in attempt to get a good look at what caught his attention. "_Kawaii!_"

"I'm not!" Sakura exclaimed, fighting the worsening blush across her cheeks.

"You are! You are!"

Rai turned to look at Sakura's face – red partly from embarrassment and partly from furiousness. "Who knew you're capable of being cute?"

Sakura glared at him. "What happened to 'we love you so much'?"

Rai simply laughed at the look on Sakura's face as Seichi, who, just transferred seats and was now beside Sakura, pinched Sakura's still crimson cheeks.

O.O.O.O.O

Syaoran practically threw his things on his bed when he arrived home. He silently hoped it wasn't his mom calling to check on her _precious princess_ when his phone suddenly started ringing. He unhurriedly rummaged through his pocket for it.

His brows furrowed at the unknown number flashing on the screen before pressing the glowing green phone. "Hello?" He was a hundred percent asking.

"Hey Li!" a muffled voice replied at the other end of the line. "Are you interested in joining a band?"

"Who's this?" Syaoran plainly retorted.

"Ah! _Gomen_, I forgot to introduce myself. This is Kinomoto Sakura."

_Kinomot__o?_ He wondered how the "queer girl" got his number. "Oh. What were you saying again?"

"I asked if you were interested in joining a band." She still sounded perky.

Syaoran tilted his head. "Uh… It never occurred to me before. Why?"

"You remember Mikage-_senpai_?" She didn't even wait for an answer before continuing. "Well, he's forming this band and he's kinda short of a member. I told him you play guitar. So, are you interested?"

Syaoran gave it some thought and remained silent. "I dunno."

It took a few seconds before Sakura replied. "Call me when you're decided, okay?"

"I guess I could."

"_Ja ne._"

"_Ja._" Syaoran replaced the phone in his pocket. _A band, eh? _He slumped in the comfortable couch in his room.

"Who were you talking to?" Meiling suddenly barged in, a hand on her hip.

_I need __to get this room sound-proofed,_ he noted to himself before answering. "You knock before you enter, Meiling." He didn't even bother glancing down from the ceiling.

Meiling ignored the equally rude behavior and walked towards her brother. "Who were you talking to?" she repeated the question a little more demandingly.

Syaoran looked at his intruder. "None of your business."

"Oh, it becomes my business when it's a girl." She sat beside Syaoran. "You know, I wanna meet your very first girlfriend,_ -nii-chan._"

* * *

**A/N:** _I had the weird desire on leaving it at that lol. Hope you like it. _

_I'm sorry if it took so long before I updated. I have to thank the class suspensions for this update, if it weren't for them I would n__ever have the time to do so._

_Criticisms are welcome, no flames please. ^^_

_Oh and I wanna t__hank all those who reviewed the previous chapters. I'm glad you liked it._

_Ja ne!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**Chapter Four**

Syaoran went straight to the Engineering building after his last class. He was hoping to catch Sakura there, finally deciding to accept her offer. After a whole night of thinking about it, he figured a little extra activity wouldn't hurt.

"_Yo_ Li!" Takashi was being as loud as ever when he waved Syaoran over.

Syaoran scanned the table with his eyes, in search of auburn hair. "_Ano_… Where's Kinomoto?"

Eriol removed the book blocking his face. "She's still in her four o'clock class." He looked more inquisitive than usual.

"Oh. Then Mikage-_senpai_?"

"Right here, SYAORAN-_KUN_!"

Seichi was practically bouncing through the hallway. Rai trailed behind him, looking shameful.

"'S-Syaoran-_kun_?'" Syaoran muttered disgustedly to himself. Nobody ever called him disgracefully and lived. Well, no one until he met Seichi Okina.

"That's right! From now on, I'll be calling you Syaoran-_kun_!" Seichi exclaimed upon hearing the unfortunate sophomore who winced at the repetition of his new nickname.

_And I'll be calling you __'dead guy', _Syaoran thought bitterly, half meaning it.

Rai went straight to the tables and sat down. "So embarrassing." He spoke so discreetly nobody even noticed. He turned to Syaoran and grinned. He had a hunch he was going to approach him soon. "So, you're in, _ne_?"

"More or less."

Seichi flung himself unto Syaoran, who in turn shivered disgustedly. "Stop being so cocky Syaoran-_kun_! You're acting like Rai's twin."

Rai instinctively threw what his hands were holding – which was at the moment a big, fat book. He snickered as it made contact with Seichi's guilty head.

Seichi moaned in pain as his butt, on the other hand, made contact with the floor. (The book was pretty big.) "See? See? Rai's better twin, though."

"There're plenty of books here, Seichi, just in case you were wondering." Rai smirked.

Syaoran let out a small laugh when he saw Seichi instantly shut his mouth. He was a little surprised that brutality was tolerated by his upperclassmen.

Rai turned to Syaoran. "This earns you an instant membership in our org." He was referring to Syaoran agreeing to join the band.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Syaoran was about to leave when he saw Sakura walking – more like throttling – down the hallway, smiling.

"Li!" It didn't bother her that most of the classroom she passed by still had classes and that the professors practically shot her a glare when she shouted. "I knew you'd say yes! This is going to be so much fun."

"_Oi_ queer girl." He was pretty sure he was thinking.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Queer… girl?"

Syaoran stared at her for a split second before realizing what she was talking about. "Did I say that out loud?" He looked like he was enjoying himself rather than feeling embarrassed. For a second he _did_ look like Rai's twin. (Not the hair and eyes, though.)

Sakura glared at him playfully, one of her hands on her hip.

Syaoran simply laughed at her expression and turned to leave. "_Ja ne_, queer girl," he waved a hand behind him. He was obviously going to use the nickname for the rest of their existence. "Oh and Mikage-_senpai_," he turned around for the second time. "I think an instant membership's a great idea." He grinned and then left.

Sakura turned to Rai, an eyebrow arched. "Instant memebership?"

Rai grinned at her. "_Eh_. Since he's in our band, I figured he should be a member of our org. He said 'no thanks' a little while ago." He grinned wider. "I think you changed his mind."

O.O.O.O.O

Meiling opened the door for her brother when he rang the door bell. She watched Syaoran as he flopped down the couch and turned the television on.

"_Ne, -nii-chan_."

Syaoran tilted his head to her direction as if to say that he was paying attention.

"_Okaa-sama_ called." Meiling was unsure of how her brother would take in the news. "She wants us to go back to Hong Kong tonight."

Hong Kong is their birthplace. They were both sent to Japan to study, since their father thought studying abroad would serve as a good experience. Not to mention that their mother is half-Japanese. It wouldn't hurt to get in touch with the other part of their family history. You could say it's the same as letting go of your children when they go to college on a different town or city, only in a broader – not to mention more expensive – sense.

Syaoran stared at her in shock. "Did she say why?" He managed to retain his composure.

Meiling flopped down the couch beside Syaoran. "She said something about receiving a threatening letter."

Syaoran sighed. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. Besides, I can't go home now, I have an exam tomorrow." He continued to skim through the channels.

.

Heavy rain poured the next morning. Raindrops on the roofs sounded like someone was cooking tons of popcorn (all at the same time). Many streets were already flooded and impassable. Strong winds turned umbrellas inside out. And yet there had been no announcement about the suspension of classes.

Sakura entered the Math building half-dry yet practically dripping all over the place. She barely made it on time for her exam that morning so, one could only imagine how pissed off she was when black, bold letters printed on flashing neon paper welcomed her saying:

**All classes and examinations scheduled today have been cancelled. Students are advised to contact their respective instructors for further instructions.**

**ADMIN.**

"Stupid rain! Stupid administration not announcing the suspension before students leave their houses!" Sakura growled her annoyance and sat at the nearest bench. Her continuous attempt to dry herself yielded no visible result.

"Your umbrella broken or something queer girl?"

"No." Sakura glared at Syaoran who approached her from behind. She knew it was him. Who else would call her "queer girl"? "You try walking in that storm fest. Let's see if you don't get wet."

Syaoran sat down beside her and shrugged. "I don't walk, I drive."

"Wow, you're really made of money aren't you?"

Syaoran grinned. "If it makes you wanna date me."

"Rich, cocky bastard." Sakura grinned back.

He snickered at the use foul language. "You won't be able to get a boyfriend with that language of yours. And bastard's an overstatement."

Sakura stuck her tongue out.

Syaoran's phone started vibrating from his pocket. He fumbled a little for it. He pushed the green phone before pressing it to his ears. "Hello?"

Sakura watched Syaoran as his expression turned from sort-of confused, to shocked, and then finally, angry. She wondered to herself who he was talking to.

"_Nani_?!" Syaoran practically jumped from his seat. He started running as soon as he heard the other end hung up.

Sakura was taken by surprise when Syaoran ran towards the gate without saying anything to her. "Li! Where the hell are you going?!" she shouted before running after him.

Syaoran halted for a moment when he heard Sakura yell. He turned around to face her with an expression of mixed worry and fury. "Just stay here, Kinomoto! Don't you _dare_ follow me!" He demanded obedience in his tone. And with that he ran into the pouring rain.

"He said he drives!" she roared her annoyance before running after him.

O.O.O.O.O

Sakura was panting so hard it didn't even feel like it was raining. She had a hard time following Syaoran. (Who knew he could run so fast?) It took every ounce of energy she had stored in her petite body just to keep him within her sight.

She was undeniably relieved when Syaoran finally stopped and entered the old pavilion building. The hallways were dark from the black out that occurred a few minutes before they arrived, soaking wet as if they just came out of the pool.

He didn't seem to notice Sakura following him, so, he continued running inside the building to the third floor and into one of the large classrooms.

Sakura stopped in front of the door of the room and peeked inside, curious of what was really going on.

A Chinese girl with long black hair and blood-red eyes sat in a chair, crying. Three men in suites, all about seven feet tall, stood in front of her, blocking Syaoran who was glaring daggers, his hand into a tight fist. Another man, shorter from the other three of about two feet and darker in hair and complexion, was holding a gun against the girl's pale cheeks.

"One wrong move, kiddo, and your sister dies." It was the short one who spoke with a deep foreign accent.

Sakura's eyes grew wide. "Dies?!" she whispered in shocked and panicked tone.

She watched Syaoran's fist tighten until his knuckles turned white. "What do you want?!" His voice was demanding. His composure pertained that he had dealt with something like it before.

The shorter one smirked. He waved a hand to the other three men, who in turn surrounded Syaoran.

Sakura sat on the floor, her back against the wall. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone, her thumb between her teeth. Her eyes moved around as her mind rushed for a solution. She knew she'd die of guilt if she let anybody get shot. She tried to control her breathing, now shallow and fast, and clear her head. She wouldn't be of any help in panic mode.

Sakura searched her pockets for her phone and dialled the number of the first upperclassman she could find. She couldn't save Syaoran and the girl all by herself, but she _could_ stall until reinforcement (a.k.a. their upperclassmen) arrives.

"Hiiragizawa-_senpai_!" she exclaimed as quietly as she can as soon as she heard the other end answer. "Li's in trouble. He needs our help!"

"_Eh_?" Eriol replied on the other end, obviously confused.

"No time to explain." Her intuition told her that Syaoran would be unrecognizable if she didn't hurry and help him. "We're in the old pavilion building, third floor, last room on the left. Hurry!" And with that she flipped her phone close and replaced it in her pocket.

Her eyes desperately searched her surroundings for something to arm herself with. She picked up the long, rusting tube resting against one of the walls and stood in front of the room.

_Time to put what I learned in my karate class to good use.

* * *

_

**A/N:** _I know it's sort of came out of nowhere. Anyway REIVIEWS PLEASE!!! They're very much appreciated. Again, no flames please._

"_Org" is shortcut for organization. And I used some Japanese terms that I'm assuming everybody can understand (Gomen, but I hate putting translations within the story). _

_Thanks for those who reviewed__ the previous chapter. I know it's getting kinda boring. (I think so too. LOL) Gomen again._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**

**Chapter Five**

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the vast office of Li Corporation's president in Hong Kong. The heavy curtains were pushed aside to let the warm afternoon sun in.

A tall woman with porcelain skin and long black hair cascading down her back stared at the busy street outside. She let out a sigh when there came a knock on the door.

"Come in," she didn't even need to raise her voice, it just reverberated to the other end.

The door swung open and a tall, well-built man in a gray suit bowed respectfully at her.

"Have you sent someone to look after Syaoran and Meiling?" It was a simple question that the only acceptable answer would be a "yes".

"We've already contacted an agent there. He said he'd keep an eye on them 24/7."

The woman stood silent for a while before answering. "There shouldn't be any problem then."

O.O.O.O.O

The black out and the eeriness of the old pavilion building did not even out the situation. That and the sound of the rain against the windows of the large room, slowly disappearing until there was nothing else but silence, only made Syaoran feel, if not threatened, trapped.

The smallest of the four guys motioned for one of the taller ones to switch places with him. "I want to be the one to break Mr. Li here." His voice was down-right menacing.

One of the tall guys moved towards Meiling, who couldn't seem to stop crying, and pointed his own gun at her temple.

"What do you want?!" Syaoran sneered. He was more scared for what might happen to Meiling if he ever make a mistake than what might happen to him.

The dark guy laughed. "Same as everybody." He knew Syaoran was well aware of what he was talking about.

Syaoran glared.

He took out a cellular phone from his pocket and handed it to Syaoran. "I want you to make sure that the million-dollar deal with Airen Electonics is closed."

"I can't do that."

The guy smirked. He wasn't just about to give up so easily. He was instructed to close the deal and he was determined to do so. "Then you should say goodbye to your beloved sister."

Sakura watched through the little space from the slightly-opened door. _I have to do something_, her mind urged her.

She slid the door open a little more, careful not to make any noise, and stood quietly with the pipe still in her hand. "I hope I don't suck at javelin throwing yet." She held the pipe with one hand and aimed its tip at the big guy holding the gun against the captive's forehead through the opening. She breathed. "Okay, 1, 2…"

O.O.O.O.O

"Did she say what _kind _of trouble?" Rai ran as fast as his legs would allow, which was pretty much enough to win him a place at the university track team.

Eriol struggled to keep up, but was nevertheless almost beside him. "No." He barely managed to mouth the word. "She… just s-said we should… hurry."

_I need to exercise more,_ Eriol noted to himself, eyeing his companion who wasn't really looking as half as tired as he already was. _Well, it's either that or Rai's been doing a little too much of it._

_Darn it, Sakura!_ Rai was more irritated and worried than he would admit.

O.O.O.O.O

The commotion from what happened in the last few seconds was enough to allow Syaoran to knock down one of the huge guys surrounding him. He couldn't say he was happy to see the green-eyed girl standing outside the door just as a rusty pipe hit the guy pointing a gun at his sister, only that he was thankful.

Sakura watched as Syaoran punched another one of the goons, knocking him unconscious. She was a little surprised at how strong he turned out to be. _Apparently stronger than I thought._ She almost felt a little sorry for the guys in the receiving end.

She cautiously walked towards the girl on the chair and started to untie the rope that held her in place. Glad that the so-called kidnappers were poor knot-tiers, she gave the girl a warm smile as she removed the cloth covering her mouth.

Meiling broke to sobs and hugged her savior.

Meanwhile, Syaoran managed to kick the gun out of the dark man's hand. "I take it you're new at this." He was rather serious when he said it.

He picked up the man by the collar and pushed him against the wall. It's good they had such a height difference, or it would've been really hard to do so. "The deal is off." He punched him in the face with his free hand and sighed as the limp body slid down to the floor.

He turned around to see Sakura and Meiling standing behind him. "Meiling, are you okay?" He softened up at the sight of his sister crying.

"_-nii-chan_!" Meiling ran to him and gave him a tight hug.

"And you." He turned his attention to Sakura and glared. "I thought I told you to stay put?" It didn't sound like a question at all. He was obviously angry at Sakura for following him.

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I never said I will."

"Sakura!" Rai's voice echoed in the room a second before he got in.

Eriol was right behind him, panting mad.

Taking in the scenario before him, he walked towards Sakura who was grinning apologetically. "_Baka_!" he exclaimed, lightly placing a knuckle over her head.

Everything seemed quiet enough that nobody noticed the smallest of the guys struggle to reach the gun just a few inches from his hand. He could swear his jaw broke the moment Syaoran's fist made contact with it, but it would take something more than that to knock him unconscious.

"You can say '_sayonara_' to your friends now," he whispered, aiming at the easiest target. At that point, taking anybody down with him was the only accomplishment within his reach. And he was more than willing to take it.

With his instincts kicking in, Syaoran turned around at the sound of the trigger clicking. He already had his arms wrapped around Meiling when the sound of a gun firing echoed in the room. He had taken a few steps aside that the bullet was only able to smear his shoulder.

Rai ran towards the man on the floor and sent an intentional kick to his stomach.

The man knew he'd be unconscious this time, if it was even possible to think that.

Meiling looked up at her brother with worry. Everything happened so fast that she failed to notice what became of the fired bullet. She winced at the sight of blood, dripping from her brother's shoulder. "_-nii-chan_, you're bleeding!"

Sakura moved towards Syaoran.

"What are you doing?"

"Let me see." It was the first time he had ever heard her sound serious that he just couldn't bring himself to argue. "It's only a smear, but you have to get that cleaned," she concluded. "C'mon, I'll go with you to the infirmary. I know a nurse there. Will save us the long 'what happened' report."

Syaoran turned to Meiling in thought. He couldn't just leave her.

"Don't worry about her," Rai replied to his unspoken worry. "We'll take her to where we hang out. You can pick her up there after that's treated." He pointed at the wound on Syaoran's shoulder which was excreting more blood by the minute.

Feeling a bit useless, Eriol motioned for Meiling to go with them and walked ahead when Syaoran chose to remain silent.

Meiling followed him, Rai at her side.

Sakura nudged Syaoran to follow. "I know they're wild most of the time, but they're all good people." Syaoran reminded her a little of her own over-protective brother.

Syaoran let out a sigh. "I could've handled it by myself. Following me was stupid."

"That your version of 'thank you'?" She sounded a little bitter. She smiled nonetheless.

For the first time after the incident, Syaoran felt like smiling, which he did while shaking his head. "Queer girl." He liked how the name rolled in his tongue.

When they reached the front of the pavilion, Rai waved at Sakura and Syaoran as they started for the opposite direction of the street. Thankfully, the rain had finally stopped.

Rai then turned to Eriol. "You go on ahead," he said. "I'll just call the police."

Eriol nodded before they started walking. He silently thanked the heavens the Engineering building wasn't that far from where they were. _No more running for me._

Rai quickly dialed a number on his cellular phone, tapping his foot as he waited for the other end to answer.

"_Hai_?" a cheery voice finally picked up.

"Seichi, it's me."

O.O.O.O.O

Heavy rain clouds began to roll through the bright Hong Kong sky. Yelan Li stopped to watch the transformation through the window in her office. It was amazing how the bright afternoon sun from a few hours ago was suddenly covered by dark clouds, never to kiss land until the next day.

A man in gray suite entered cautiously through the mahogany doors, bowing before announcing what he was there for, which seems to be very important since he didn't even bother to knock first. "Madam President, our agent from Japan just called. He said that the young master and his sister had just been attacked by one of Airen Enterprises' men."

A sigh escaped her lips. "Let the call through."

The man went out the door and after a minute, Yelan's office phone started ringing.

She picked it up on the third ring. "_Hai_?" Never had the simple word of acknowledgement sounded so demanding of respect and attention. "Airen Enterprises? … I see…" She remained composed as the person at the other end of the line explained to her what had transpired in the last hour or so. "Of course. I want to thank you for helping my son and my daughter. I will appreciate it if you could keep an eye on them for me. Your payment will be wired to you monthly. That is all. Thank you."

Yelan replaced the handset of the phone and let out a sigh. She clicked the speaker phone on and pressed three for her secretary. "Another cup of brewed coffee would be nice." She told her as soon as the other end ticked.

O.O.O.O.O

The university infirmary was as white as any ordinary hospital. Sakura seemed to know exactly where to go the moment they opened the glass doors. Whoever thought that a wounded person can easily open the tightly hinged – not to mention heavy – doors hadn't been injured in his life.

"Mizuki-_san_?" Sakura called inside one of the rooms on the second floor.

Kaho Mizuki peeked through one of the curtains in the room, her long, red hair cascading behind her. "Sakura-_chan_!" she exclaimed upon recognition. "What happened to you _this _time?"

Syaoran noted the emphasis and concealed a smile. He could just imagine the queer girl coming to the place with a different injury ranging from small cuts to broken bones every time she visited the place.

"It's not me. It's my friend Li here." She practically nudged him over to the young nurse.

Syaoran showed her his wounded shoulder.

"Ah! My…" She was gentle with her hands as she examined the damage. "Sit." She motioned at the nearby bed.

Syaoran did as he was told.

"A bullet fired past his shoulder. He's a little lucky it missed the whole thing."

He was a little surprised when the nurse only nodded as she begun preparing things.

"Take off your shirt," she demanded.

Syaoran knew better than to argue.

Silence filled the room as Kaho started cleaning the wound with water. Then, when almost all the blood was gone, exposing the cut clearly, she dabbed the medication on a clean cotton ball. "This will hurt a bit."

Syaoran didn't even wince at the pain. He had worse injuries before that he eventually got used to the stinging.

The nurse covered up the wound.

Sakura watched as Kaho treated Syaoran rather intently as she tried hard to prevent herself from sneezing. Her nose was feeling itchy, she reckoned because of all the running they did in the rain, and could feel a cold penetrating her weak-from-birth immune system.

Easier said than done, she finally couldn't contain it any longer and the silence was broken with a loud _"achu"._

"_Gomen._" She smiled sheepishly, her hand still covering her mouth.

"Have you been standing in the rain or something?" Kaho remarked as she ruffled the nearest medicine cabinet for some cold tablets and pain relievers.

"_E-Eh_… You can say that."

Syaoran grinned at her. "Who knew a violent person like you could have such a weak immune system?"

Sakura shot him a glare, which was only answered by a chuckle.

"Drink this." Kaho handed the cold tablets to Sakura, who took it appreciatively. "And you, take this."

"_Eh_?" Syaoran stared at the pain relievers the nurse was handing over to him.

"Pain relievers. You have to take it if you want to sleep at night."

"Mizuki-_san_'s medicines act fast, but they're a little more painful than what the other doctors and nurses give," Sakura explained.

"_Arigatou_," Syaoran whispered as he took them.

Kaho simply smiled.

Syaoran knew that sheer curiosity took the better of him when, for the last time, the nurse didn't even try to get an explanation of what transpired. "You're not even going to force us to explain what happened?"

The nurse plainly smiled at him again. "Not if you don't want to."

"Told you it'll save us the time." Sakura was grinning. Obviously she got herself into a lot of messes she wasn't willing to talk about either.

Kaho grinned playfully. "But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and get your body wounded all over. You still have to take care of yourself, you know?"

Sakura let out a sigh. "Apparently, the lecture's not included."

A few more minutes later, Syaoran and Sakura walked out of the infirmary still slightly laughing. Sakura's uncalled-for comment earned them a few more sentences of lecture from Kaho.

Spotting an ice cream shop nearby, Syaoran did what he wouldn't find himself doing a few weeks before. He pushed Sakura – who yelped at the sudden force – by the shoulder. It was another advantage of being taller. "Let's have some ice cream queer girl." He grinned.

They emerged from the store moments later with cones in their hands.

"Think of it as a thank you gift." Syaoran kept his voice low.

Sakura laughed. "I thought your version was 'following me was stupid'? But thanks."

They sat by the fountain they passed along the way and decided to finish off their food there. Sakura's ice cream started dripping after a few minutes that they just had to – that is, if they didn't want their shoes sticking all over the Engineering floor. Not to mention the scary janitor who'll be up their ass if they mess the place up.

"Why does ice cream have to be so sticky?!" Sakura kept cleaning her hands, only to get them dirty again.

Syaoran laughed at her heartily. "They wouldn't be creamy if they're not."

At that moment, Syaoran decided he would ask what was nagging him since after the incident. He was thankful she didn't call the police, since he really didn't want to let them know. Especially because of the politics involved. But why Sakura didn't call them, he concluded, was weird.

"_Ne_, Kinomoto."

Sakura turned to him innocently.

"Why didn't you call the police?"

Sakura put the last of her cone in her mouth before answering. "I uh… don't trust the police."

Syaoran had his answer, and the noticeable change of mood that came with the topic told him that he shouldn't press. He didn't.

* * *

**A/N:** _I couldn't update sooner. G__omen__. No excuses this time. __Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**

**Chapter Six**

The noise from the end of the hall told Sakura it was going to be one of those unusual, busy mornings.

_Funn__y, I don't remember any activities happening in the near future,_ she thought as the long table came into view. "_Ohayou gozaimas_." she greeted the buzzing crowd.

"_Ohayou_ Sakura-_chan_!" Seichi practically jumped in front of her. Although, he was probably aiming at her actual, elfin body. It was one of those times that made her appreciate her fast reflexes. "Have you heard of the welcoming party for the M.E. freshmen this year?"

"There's one held every year."

"Oh, but it's different this time," Eriol butted in, his eyes gleaming through his glasses.

Sakura placed her things on the table and sat next to him. "Different how?"

"So you _haven't_ heard about it!" Seichi exclaimed.

"I just got here, _senpai_. How could I have?"

Seichi's raven eyes widened with exaggeration. "Sakura-_chan_ is already having a bad day so early in the morning?!" His hands ruffled through his blonde hair – typical morning weirdness of Seichi Okina.

"_Eh_… Who ticked you off so early?" Rai came through the same hallway and sat opposite Sakura. "Sure as hell don't wanna be him right now."

"There's no one, and I'm not ticked off." Sakura slumped back. "Just not in the mood."

Eriol leaned towards Rai's ear and whispered. "Must be a girl thing."

"And no, it's not because of a girl thing." Sakura obviously heard what her _senpai_ remarked.

"Anyway, this year's welcoming party is supposed to be a masked ball or something." Eriol handed a flier to Sakura. "They said it's like a costume party where everybody wears a mask. No restrictions too."

"_Eh_…"

"Then it should be fun." Rai grinned.

Sakura turned to him in surprise. "I didn't know you were into masked balls, Mikage-_senpai_."

His grin widened. "Oh, it's not the _actual _ball I'm interested in but the 'wearing costumes' part."

"I see you like dress-ups."

Eriol and Seichi laughed at how Sakura's comment made it seem like Rai's odd interest sounded like a gay thing.

"Actually, yeah I do." Rai stood up and opened his locker.

All the other guys' mouths practically fell open.

Sakura stared at Rai for a while. "Wait, it's not 'dressing up' that interests you." Her eyes were almost slits, carefully studying her prey who was now again sitting across the table.

"I just told you it interests me, right?"

Sakura would've pushed her suspicions further if it wasn't for the sudden, loud music echoing in the hallway.

"If it isn't weird enough that Rai likes dress-ups. Now, who has the hots for classical music?" She turned to the group of people gathered at the other table.

"It's waltz music." Takashi plopped down beside her.

"For what?"

Seichi beamed at her. "For the welcoming party of course!"

Sakura stared innocently at him.

"Technically, it's a dance party. We were told to assign two people to lead the dance." Eriol adjusted his glasses. "Kinda like how the promenade dances start in America."

"_Eh_… I see."

Takashi placed a hand over Sakura's shoulder, his grin only widening. "And you, our one and only Kinomoto-_chan_, is going to be in it."

Sakura basically jumped out of her seat. "_NANI_?!" Her voice bounced off every free wall it could find. "When did you decide this?!"

"When we went to the Department Head's office yesterday." Rai ran a casual hand across his hair and smiled guiltlessly.

"And _why_ am I not informed _before_ you went to Jiro-_sensei_? Considering _I'm_ the one being forcefully volunteered here."

Rai stood up and walked towards the raging person in front of him. "Quit complaining _baka_." He took her arm and dragged her to the free space in front of the tables. "It's done. There's nothing you can do now except, practice and hope that you don't make a fool of yourself."

Sakura grumbled as she let her body be pulled towards Rai's.

He grabbed Sakura's right hand and placed it on his shoulder and grabbed the left with his own. "Tell me you know how to waltz. I don't want my foot to suffer."

She let out a sigh of exasperation before smirking. "I got a 95 on it in high school. I'm probably better in it than you are."

Rai let out a warm laugh and started leading her through the steps.

"Sakura-_chan_'s a natural!" Seichi exclaimed as he watched the pair sway.

"Wow, she's really good."

Seichi and Eriol turned to see Syaoran grinning, leaning on the bench's backrest. He approached the pair after a few more seconds of watching them waltz. "May I cut in?" he asked as he tapped Rai's shoulder.

Sakura and everyone else looked at him quizzically. Rai simply smirked before offering his partner's hand which he was holding. "Don't step on her. She bites."

Syaoran stepped in front of her and pulled her closer to him in the basic waltz position.

"Try to keep up, _ne_?" Sakura grinned playfully.

"Wouldn't want you biting me now would I?" They moved elegantly across the small space they're allowed to move in. "On second thought, that would be _really_ sexy."

Sakura whacked his shoulder. Her deep eyes were glaring.

Syaoran smirked. "You know, I have to tell you frankly."

Sakura tilted her head, as if asking.

"You seem more like I girl than I thought." He grinned truthfully.

It earned him another whack on the shoulder. "You say unnecessary things! You know that?!"

This time, Syaoran laughed heartily as they started to dance a more complicated waltz. It came out naturally, though. Syaoran was leading like a perfect gentleman and Sakura was following gracefully like a leaf falling from its tree, swaying with the breeze as it took its course towards the ground.

Sakura couldn't help but stare into her dance partner's golden eyes as he laughed. She watched as they shined whenever the rays of the sun, peeking into the hallway, touched them. It was the first time she saw it full of life – full of energy. They held her gaze like strong iron shackles.

Somehow, she managed to waver her stare to Syaoran's other features. His high-bridged nose, thin, luscious lips, strong jaw, wide shoulders, and large hands were all pretty much perfect. For the first time, she realized how handsome he really was. _No wonder everybody has a crush on him._

"What were you thinking?" Syaoran's voice broke her thoughts. "You looked weird." He grinned again.

Sakura looked down and blushed. She was shocked by her own trail of thoughts. And there was no way she could tell him about them. "N-Nothing important," she managed to answer before he twirled her.

They stopped dancing when she returned to his arms. "Were you blushing, queer girl?" He was certain he saw a hint of pink somewhere. He tilted her bowed head to face him.

Sakura refused to look at him in the eye. She reckoned it will give too much information away. She desperately tried to push back the blush tainting her cheeks.

"I'm not." She broke from his hold and walked towards the table. Her knees were unbelievably wobbly and her heartbeat was going too fast it made her feel a little nauseous.

She quickly grabbed her things, wanting to escape the stares she was receiving. "I-I have to go." She walked away before anyone could stop her.

Rai quietly followed Sakura with his gaze then turned to Syaoran who was still standing where Sakura had left him. He was staring at the hallway where Sakura had disappeared to. He could feel a weird feeling at the pit of his stomach starting to form.

O.O.O.O.O

Syaoran stared outside the window during his Geology class that morning.

Geology wasn't really a subject he would want to take, only that his general education curriculum included it. It was either that or Biology. He chose the lesser evil, not to mention the easier of the two.

He was in no mood to pay attention. Not that he ever was, anyway. His mind was preoccupied with thinking of a song to play during the freshmen welcoming party.

Rai filled him in and told him that they didn't have a piece to play yet and that they'd appreciate it if he could give them a few ideas to choose from. Besides the songs, there was also the problem of costumes. They couldn't play with the drummer dressed up as the genie from Aladdin, the bassist as Johnny English, the lead as Spiderman or any other superhero in tights, and the rhythm as a big orange pumpkin – not that he ever would dress up like that, though.

It would be totally chaotic. And it would be weird.

How Sakura had walked out earlier also bothered him. He was sure he saw her blushing, although, he could only assume, really. She turned away from him before he could even make sure.

Syaoran sighed. At the moment, he wasn't sure of anything. It was like asking him to pick between a pack of Hershey's chocolate and a big Toblerone – which was pretty much impossible for him to do. After all, he _did_ love chocolate.

Hershey's. Toblerone. Hershey's. Toblerone.

If anything, it was just confusing him.

Sakura's face, turned from him, was etched in his memory. For some reason, something seemed different. It annoyed him how he couldn't quite place it. It was different from the way she grinned. Her eyes weren't shining like emeralds. She wasn't cocky and confident. She wasn't sure of herself, unlike the time that she barged in when Meiling was being kept hostage. For one, it reminded him of the time when he asked her about the police.

He wouldn't really admit it. No. He hadn't really noticed yet, but somehow, he was paying too much attention to the "queer girl".

"…_emeralds from mountains… never revealing their depth…_" he whispered to himself, trying to visualize how Sakura's eyes looked like – first when he asked about the police, and second that morning.

"Mr. Li, would you care to answer the question?" It was a good thing his sensitive hearing caught the simple question the professor asked the class.

He turned to face the teacher and gave the answer. In some incomprehensible way, he was thinking a little more clearly now.

O.O.O.O.O

Meiling entered the Math building's cafeteria searching for a vacant space. She was hoping to taste the food there. She wants to try every building's canteen food and so far, she'd tasted the Engineering's and the Arts and Literatures' which tasted the same.

Tomoyo followed her inside, also looking around. "I don't think there're any vacant spots Meiling. Maybe because it's most people's lunch time too."

"Ah, there!" Meiling exclaimed, starting to walk towards one of the middle tables. "She's a friend of _onii-chan_. I think we can sit with her," she explained when Tomoyo made a sound of objection, not seeing an empty table where they were headed.

"Kinomoto-_senpai_!" She grinned at the girl at the table who was taking a bite of her sandwich. "Can we join you?"

Sakura smiled, recognizing who it was. "Sure." After that morning's incident, she didn't want to see any of the org people so, she decided to have lunch alone in a crowded area where there's a huge possibility that no one would spot her. She wouldn't know what to answer if they asked why she walked out the way she did. She was convinced that the way she acted wasn't at all like her. And what was worse was that she didn't know exactly why.

Meiling and Tomoyo took a seat in front of her and placed down their things.

"Oh, by the way. Tomoyo, this is Sakura Kinomoto-_senpai_. She's a second year M.E. student like _–nii-chan_." She gestured towards Sakura. "And this is, Tomoyo Daidouji, a psychology freshman."

"Nice to meet you Kinomoto-_san_." Tomoyo bowed her head ever so slightly.

"_Eh_… You're very polite!" Sakura exclaimed, beaming at her. "Oh, but you don't have to bow to me. I'm only a year older anyway."

"So, what do you recommend we eat _senpai_?"

Sakura turned to Meiling. "_Eto_… Well, the sandwiches are good here. The curry's not bad. But, I don't recommend their pasta." She made a grimaced expression. "They taste really weird."

Meiling nodded and stood up. "It'll only take us a minute." She took Tomoyo's hand and headed off to buy their lunch.

They returned after a few minutes both with a tray in hand. Sakura was highlighting the book she was reading when they got back.

"What's that?" Meiling's gaze was at the book.

"Oh, Asian History. A pain in the neck, really."

Meiling nodded.

"I got Japanese History this semester." Tomoyo placed her now-empty tray at the corner of the table. "Our professor said we would finish the book he required us to have. It was this thick." She made a two-and-a-half-inch distance between her thumb and two fingers.

Sakura shook her head. "Sometimes, I think these general education subjects demands more than the majors does."

"Ah! _Senpai_, about the welcoming party for M.E. freshmen," Meiling started after swallowing a spoonful of curry. "I was wondering if Tomoyo could come."

Sakura turned from Meiling to Tomoyo who bowed her head sheepishly. "Of course! Why not?"

"But, isn't it a party for M.E. students only?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, yeah. But you don't have to worry. No one will kick you out. I just have to tell them you're coming with Meiling." Sakura beamed at her.

Glancing at her watch, she shoved the book she was reading back to her bag. "Shit, I still have to ask Mikage-_senpai_ to help me with a Calculus assignment. I need to go you guys."

"Oh sure, sure."

"See you at the welcoming party then." She gave them a last wave and went off.

O.O.O.O.O

"_Oi_ Li!" Eriol waved at Syaoran from across the hallway. He walked towards them and placed his things down the stone benches.

Sakura flinched slightly at the sound of the name. She turned to see Syaoran already beside her, peeking at her notebook. "It's rude to just read other people's notes, you know." Somehow, she managed to regard him the way she normally did.

"This is wrong." Syaoran pointed at one of the problems, completely ignoring Sakura's statement. "Use cylindrical coordinates. It'll be easier."

"Know-it-all!" Sakura exclaimed, closing her notebook. "Mikage-_senpai_ was supposed to be helping me with this. That smart-ass ditched me."

Syaoran smirked. "I'll tutor you, queer girl."

"No thanks, rich, cocky bastard."

Eriol grinned. "Ooh, you have cute nicknames for each other already. I'm envious."

Sakura fought the sudden, inexplicable flush and smirked. "Yeah, right."

"Ah, Li. Had you come up with a song to play at the welcoming party yet? I know we only asked you this morning so it's okay if you don't have one yet."

Syaoran ran a hand through his messy hair. "I sort of thought of a song during Geol this morning. But I haven't come up of a costume to go with it yet."

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "You guys are playing at the party?" The excitement she was repressing still showed through her face.

Eriol nodded. "_Eh_. Isn't it cool?"

"Very." She smiled. "So what's this song you thought of, Li?"

Syaoran grinned at her. "Oh, I'm not gonna tell _you_."

Eriol chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You should wait for the party to hear it. It's a secret." He raised a finger to his lips.

Sakura sighed. Despite her excitement, she knew it was useless to argue with guys. "It better be worth waiting for or you're treating me to lunch."

* * *

**A/N:** _Things had been more hectic than usual. I'm really, really sorry. I hope you still read this though. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Again, R&R please!! No flames, though. Thanks. ^^_

_Next chapter, Syaoran and Tomoyo meets again. And then, there's Sakura's partner for the dance thing. You can tell me who you want it to be. (Although, I have a pretty good guess you want it to be Syaoran. LOL.)_

_Oh, and maybe it's a little late to say this but, I really don't have any reason why Tomoyo's a year younger. I guess I just wanted her to be Meiling's close friend this time, not Sakura's. And Meiling's Syaoran's sister so, she's supposed to be younger._

'_Til next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**Chapter Seven**

"I can't believe tomorrow's the day of the dance." Sakura slumped at one of the chairs lying around the lobby of the Mechanical Engineering department building.

Everybody was running around. People were putting up flowers made of crepe paper here and there. Some were calling on their phones for the catering and the sponsors, while some were cleaning up after other's messes. It was chaotic.

Eriol sat on the floor beside Sakura. "Me neither. I hope we don't screw up."

Sakura turned to the raven haired smart-ass beside her, surprised. "Don't tell me you've never done this before."

"Well…"

"I said don't tell me." Sakura sighed. "This is impossible. _I'm _the one getting nervous for _you_." She rubbed her temples as if it hurt.

"Oh, don't worry. I promise to nail it. It's just a dance." Eriol grinned, his perfect teeth showing. He sounded confident for someone who hadn't done any public performance of the like.

"_Oi_ Kinomoto, someone's looking for you." Another one of her upperclassmen called to her from a ladder. He pointed towards the big entrance of the building.

Meiling was waving enthusiastically beside the door, Tomoyo at her side. "Kinomoto-_senpai_!" she exclaimed.

Sakura stood up from the chair and walked towards them. "Hey," she them with a smile. "If you're looking for Li, he's out with the rest of their band."

"Oh yeah, I heard they're playing at the welcoming party." Meiling was becoming more anxious by the minute. "He said they're playing…"

"Meiling!" Tomoyo exclaimed in a low voice. It was intended to cut her off.

"Ah! I almost slipped." She raised both her hands to cover her mouth. "_Gomen, -nii-chan_ said to keep it a secret."

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "Figured he'd tell you." She placed a hand on her hip. "He told me to wait for the party if I wanted to know. But I don't really see why he'd want to keep it a secret from me."

Meiling grinned. Tomoyo, on the other hand, kept her gaze on the floor.

"Anyway, at least he'll owe me a free lunch if the song happens to be disappointing."

"Kinomoto! C'mon, we still need to practice." Eriol stood up from the floor, dusting himself.

"_Hai, hai_!" Sakura shouted back. She turned back to face Meiling and Tomoyo again, now, looking tired. "_Gomen_, I need to practice for the opening waltz. I wouldn't want Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ stepping on me or tripping all over the place. But you can stay and watch if you want."

"Don't let us bother you, Kinomoto-_san_. We'll go ahead." It was Tomoyo who answered her. "Good luck on your waltz."

"Thanks." Sakura smiled. "_Ja ne_."

O.O.O.O.O

"Are we supposed to play the whole night?" Syaoran asked as he tucked his guitar away into its case. They had just finished playing for the day. From what their ears heard, everything sounded perfect.

Rai shook his head. "Of course not. We just need to play about five more requests. And then they'd play a CD or something." He stared at Syaoran's peculiar expression.

"_Eh_…"

"Why do you ask?"

Syaoran's eyebrows shot up. "_Eto_… No particular reason." He pulled the zipper of his guitar's casing to a close.

"_Ne_ Syaoran-_kun_!" Seichi practically screeched, his hands waving frantically to catch Syaoran's attention. It was a pointless gesture since they were only about six steps apart.

Syaoran flinched at the sound of his name. _I am _never_ getting used to that forsaken nickname, _he noted hysterically to himself. _I swear, the moment killing becomes legal…_

Seichi ignored the look of disgust Syaoran shot him. "You're very cute sister is here to see you! And she's with another cute girl too!"

He walked to where Seichi and his sudden visitors were. He shot his poor upperclassman a glare. It was intended as a warning. "Stay away from my sister, Okina-_senpai_."

Seichi shivered. "Sheesh little wolf. I was only joking!" He slowly walked away towards Rai and Takashi, acting hurt.

_So childish._ Syaoran didn't dare say it out loud. He turned to Meiling and her companion – who he recognized as the girl Daidouji who Meiling had already introduced to him. "What do you want?"

Meiling scowled. "Man, you're cranky all of sudden," she huffed. "_Okaa-sama_ called."

Syaoran looked at his sister, waiting for her to continue. "And?"

"She wants you to call her back."

"And?"

"That's all."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. He was tired. Seichi ticked him off. And now, Meiling finally managed to annoy him. "Don't tell me you went all around campus looking for me just to tell me that_ Okaa-sama_ called and that she wanted me to call her back?"

Meiling nodded innocently.

"And you couldn't have just called to tell me this?"

She nodded again. "_Mou_. Where's the fun in that _–nii-chan_? Besides, we don't have anything else to do. We got bored." She gestured her hand towards Tomoyo.

Meiling walked passed Syaoran and towards Rai, Seichi, and Takashi. She seemed to be oblivious of the fact that his brother was almost on the brink of fuming. She simply ignored him and got into an animated conversation with their upperclassmen.

_Gah. __ Freshmen boredom._ Syaoran ran a hand through his hair, an attempt to calm down his nerves.

"_Ano… Gomenasai._" Tomoyo bowed at him, obviously noticing what Meiling missed, written all over her brother's face. "I told her to just call you. But she wouldn't listen. I guess she really wanted to see you."

"See me?" he echoed.

Tomoyo nodded. "It comes with being a little sister."

"You have an older brother too?" He just assumed it was the reason she was able to say such things.

Surprisingly, she shook her head. "I'm a psychology major. I've read about this kind of thing when I was in high school."

"_Eh_… You're really dedicated."

Slightly, she was shocked by the compliment. She could perfectly remember when Meiling first introduced them to each other. Back then, he seemed like the distant type – the sort of person who would prefer to keep to himself, the kind no one would really approach first.

"Meiling! Let's go," Syaoran exclaimed.

"_Hai_!"

O.O.O.O.O

"I said, Meiling," Syaoran muttered through gritted teeth as he walked on the shaded pavement. "I didn't say _everyone_!"

Takashi patted him on the back. "_Maa, maa _Li_-kun._ What's so bad with walking back home with everyone?"

Syaoran glared at the corner of his eyes. "I hate crowds."

"Don't worry. We all take the first turn." Rai had a hand on his pocket, as usual, while the other held on to his guitar.

When they reached the right street, Takashi and Seichi waved at Syaoran in goodbye, while Rai simply went on his way. He just stared at them, happy to have his peace and quiet back.

"_Oi_ Meiling, where are you going?" he called after the small figure walking by Seichi's side. She was obviously hoping that Syaoran wouldn't notice until they got a few safe feet away from him so he couldn't drag her back.

"Okina-_senpai _has the CD I've been looking for for months!" She clapped her hands together, as if in prayer. "I'll just go and borrow it first,_ ne_? You go on ahead."

Syaoran sighed. He knew she wouldn't listen to him even if he says no. "Whatever." He started walking again.

He hadn't notice that Tomoyo was still with him. She lived a little further from where he and Meiling lived and had no choice but to walk in the same direction.

"_Ano_…" Tomoyo broke the silence that was thickening by the minute.

Syaoran turned, slightly surprised that she was still behind him. "Ah, I didn't know you were still there. Where do you live?"

"Three streets from yours."

He stopped to allow her to catch up. "You should've said something earlier. You were so quiet. I thought you came with Meiling to _senpai_'s house."

Tomoyo smiled. "I didn't have anything to say."

"True." He slowed down his pace. "So, you were going to say something earlier then?"

She kept her gaze at the floor. "_Eto_…" She crossed her arms behind her. "Actually, I just didn't want to walk alone. You were already so many steps ahead. I couldn't keep up."

"Ah."

Again, silence filled the air. There are only a few people walking at the time. It was Friday and most of the students either had a job to attend to or they had a date, whether with friends or with someone special.

Tomoyo was about to start another conversation when Syaoran beat her to the punch.

"Earlier, did you and Meiling really went around campus looking for me?"

"Well, not really," she started. "We went to your department building first. We saw Kinomoto-_san_ there and she told us you were with your band mates."

Syaoran nodded. "What were they doing? The org people, I mean."

"They were decorating the lobby. Most of what I saw were flowers. Kinomoto-_san_ and another guy were supposedly practicing, I think. At least, that's what she told us she was going to do before we left her. That's why Meiling asked one of the guys by the stairs where your band was practicing. We didn't wanna bother her."

Syaoran chuckled. "She must be scared Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ might step on her, or something, if they don't practice their routine."

Tomoyo tilted her head towards him. "That's what _she_ said." She giggled. "Her partner must be a really bad dancer."

This time, he laughed. "Not really. At least, I don't think so." He adjusted the guitar casing's strap hanging from his shoulder. "I was supposed to be her partner. But then I have to play in the band." There was the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice. Nevertheless, Tomoyo caught it.

She was about to ask a few more questions, just wanting to confirm something, when they reached his house.

"_J__a ne_." Syaoran opened the gate with a squeak.

Knowing that it couldn't be helped, she smiled before walking off. "_Ja_."

* * *

**A/N:** _I'm glad you guys still read my story. Thanks for the reviews!_

_Sorry__ if it was like a 'I'm-making-it-up-as-I-go' kinda chapter. And a short one at that. But I'm glad I was able to update this soon._

_Oh, and before you all skin me to death or something, don't worry. Even though Eriol gets to be her partner for the opening waltz, there'll still be an SxS moment during the party._

_Next chapter : party time! ^^_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter except for the plot.

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**Chapter Eight**

Musketeers. That was what the band decided to dress up as after a long debate. It was the only other thing they could think of. Seichi suggested they go as the Teletubbies (he wanted to be Poh), but everyone happily discarded the humiliating idea.

Syaoran impatiently tapped his foot on the wooden floor of the stage where the band was supposed to play. The party was about to start in a few more hours and everyone in the organization seemed to be cramming about something. He looked at the other band members in long boots and feathered hats beside him. They were all fiddling with their instruments.

"You okay there, Syaoran-_kun_?" Seichi noticed the amber eyes studying them. "Nervous?"

"_Ie_. Just bored." Syaoran tilted the feathered hat on his head. "How long are we going to stand here? I wanna get this over with already."

Rai strapped his guitar unto his shoulder. "Less than two hours left. Be a little more patient, little wolf." He grinned and gave Syaoran a meaningful look. He assumed he was impatient about a different thing.

Syaoran grimaced. "I think you've been hanging out with Okina-_senpai_ a little too long. Please don't tell me his weirdness is rubbing off on you."

"Hey!" Seichi exclaimed, adjusting the strap on his bass guitar.

Takashi laughed. "C'mon you guys. As much as it is amusing to watch you go at each other's throat, we still need to practice. I don't wanna embarrass myself in front of the freshmen. I want them to respect me after this gig, not make fun of me."

Rai smiled then started playing some tabs. Syaoran, Takashi, and Seichi joined in on cue.

After the first song, Eriol and Sakura entered the lobby.

Syaoran's mouth almost fell open when he caught sight of the auburn-haired beauty in long gown. Almost. At least he was able to lock it in place before it made him look like a drooling fool. _Wow…_ He couldn't even bring himself to say the word.

He gulped.

Sakura only had light make-up on but it enhanced her features in an inexplicable way. Her hair was curled and tied in a high ponytail, a few free strands framing her face. She wore a crimson-red ball gown that was tight around her torso – much like the dresses that women wore in old England during the time of Shakespeare. It shone even under the dim light, making its contrast with Sakura's emerald-green eyes even more noticeable.

"Nice Sakura. You look very beautiful." Rai's voice was like smooth silk. It made Syaoran turn his head to look at him. He didn't know if it was a good thing that he wasn't the only one mesmerized by the sudden transformation.

"Shut your pie-hole, _senpai_." Sakura shot him a glare. "I am _so_ not happy with this dress. My feet are aching already." She turned to Eriol who was standing beside her, grinning. "Can I please, please, _please_ take these heels off?"

Eriol shook his head. "It's a crime not to wear heels when you're wearing such a beautiful dress, 'Kura-_chan_."

Sakura scowled. "Nobody will even notice! I promise to keep my feet under this huge… skirt-whatever." Her face was distorted in a look of pure disgust.

"Stop looking as if you're going to puke anytime soon. It ruins the outfit." Seichi was grinning like a dog – that is, if dogs could even grin.

Sakura arched an eyebrow. "_Ne_ _senpai_, are you and Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ gays?"

Eriol shot her a death glare. "What was that?"

Sakura chuckled nervously, a little surprised by the almost-murderous look that Eriol had. "_N-Nandemonai_…"

Rai laughed and leaned closer to whisper something in Sakura's ear. "You can always ask Seichi that question, but never Eriol. Unless of course, if you want to experience a good beating. Or if you need an efficient sparring partner."

"Noted." She looked at Eriol apologetically.

Eriol sighed. "Fine, fine. Let's just go practice one last time, _ne_?" He offered a hand for Sakura to take.

They all watched as Eriol took the beautiful creature towards the dance floor.

O.O.O.O.O

**Syaoran's P.O.V.**

I stood there as the rest of the guys crowded around her. Why was I the only one left to stare at her from a distance? _Damn it. _Mikage-_senpai_ even beat me in saying how beautiful she was.

Not that it mattered.

It didn't…

_Yeah right._ I could practically hear another part of me mocking my own thoughts – like I was lying to myself or something. I wasn't… _Damn it._

I sighed as Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ led her away from the stage and towards the dance floor. A sharp pang which I couldn't quite identify tugged at a part of me. The thought of me being her partner and dancing with such an incredible and one-of-a-kind girl plagued my mind. _There goes that twinge again._

"C'mon guys, we have to practice too." Mikage-_senpai_ started fiddling with his guitar again.

_Oh, that's right!_ Seriously, I need to get my priorities checked every now and then. Tonight, my responsibility was to play at the welcoming party, not to keep an eye on a certain "queer girl".

Wait. When did that even became my responsibility? _Gah. Priorities – check them. _I just hope that mental note would help.

"_Oi_ Li. Is your guitar tuned-in yet?" Yamazaki-_senpai_'s voice brought me back to reality.

I must've been in really deep thought 'cause they were all really by the time I realized they weren't in front of me anymore.

I immediately plugged in my guitar and adjusted the amplifier. It only took me a few seconds before I could set it right. It was a good thing I was used to fixing technical stuffs.

"Ready." I nodded at everyone. They were all staring at me as I moved around.

Mikage-_senpai_ started with the soft tabulation and Okina-_senpai_ sang the moment he was supposed to. I entered after the intro.

I stared at Sakura and Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ as they practically glided through their steps.

Now tell me, how was I supposed to concentrate again?

O.O.O.O.O

**Normal P.O.V.**

All the guests came just in time. It was obvious that everybody worked hard on their costume – probably wanting to impress someone in particular.

The colorful costumes were definitely a sight to see. Some were dressed up as Disney characters – one even came as a modernization of the popular Mickey Mouse. And some came in what seemed to be their Halloween costumes the previous year. The most entertaining one would be a guy dressed up in a big, bulky, glittering pumpkin who probably wasn't informed of the "dancing" part.

The most eye-catching costumes yet were worn by Tomoyo and Meiling.

Meiling was in a golden, traditional Chinese dress that hugged her yet-to-develop curves perfectly. It was "yet to develop" but it was nevertheless still there. Her hair was arranged in a clean bun and heavy-looking ornaments dangled from it. Her mask was a simple, featureless, red mask that covered only her eyes. From afar, it was difficult to distinguish her ruby orbs from the piece of thick plastic.

Tomoyo, on the other hand, was in a dark-blue kimono. He had a geisha's make-up on that also served as her mask and her long hair was tied loosely behind her. Both of their costumes screamed royalty. They gave other people the impression that they were looking at two women who lived centuries ago.

Syaoran stared at the crowd entering the decorated lobby and sighed at sight of their up-to-ears smiles.

_Such a show-__off. _He thought to himself when he saw his sister waving at him. He waved back and nodded at who he assumed was Tomoyo.

"The show starts in five." Rai entered the back stage where the band was peeking to see the crowd. "You guys ready to get this over with?"

Everybody nodded.

After a few minutes – probably even less than five – the lights went out and the crowd felt silent. The emcee announced the start of the program and a few "important" people gave speeches afterwards – important people including the head of the department, the present president of the organization, and even the chancellor or the university.

After the formalities, people began eating and soon enough, it was time for the first dance. The sound of classic waltz music filled the air. Everybody practically pushed each other out to see the couple dancing the first dance.

Syaoran stared at the nervous face of Sakura and smiled to himself. She was beautiful. No. There was something else – something that caused his loss of proper words.

He wished he could tune out the continuous mumbling around him that seemed to be louder than the music.

"Who ever thought Kinomoto could look so good?"

"Wow, so she _is_ a girl, _ne_?"

"She looks like a princess."

"Do you think she's girlfriend material?"

Syaoran took a deep breath and turned to look at the last person who was stupid enough to open his mouth.

The upperclassman cowered when he caught sight of Syaoran's piercing stare. Although it was unintentional, his glare produced a shivering effect that most of the people around him who saw it moved to another place.

"Stop being on edge, Syaoran-_kun_." Seichi's voice was like an alarm clock. "They won't stand a chance with Sakura-_chan_ – unlike you." He gave him a meaningful look. "Of course, there are _other_ people with the same kind of chance that you have. So I suggest you act on it as soon as possible."

"I–" Syaoran was about to argue but Seichi patted his shoulder in dismissal and left before he was able to.

He sighed. Would it even matter what the weird guy thought?

"C'mon guys, it's show time." This time, it was Takashi who brought him out of his confused thoughts.

O.O.O.O.O

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

I was praying every minute that it would finally end. How long had I been dancing anyway?

"A few more seconds left, _ne_?" Hiiragizawa-_senpai _must've seen the look on my face. He tilted his head towards the stage and I looked at whatever it was that he was referring to.

_Oh yeah…_ I smiled. The guys were finally taking their place on the stage. We were supposed to dance only until the band started playing so I was really, really, _really_ happy to see them tuning those instruments.

The sound of the last few notes of that stupid waltz song rang in my ears and I almost jumped in glee.

Mikage-_senpai_ winked at me before playing the first few tabs of their first song. I swear, he looked so cute in that Musketeer outfit. _Wait. Damn. I knew this dress would cause some problems in my head._

"_The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful stop me and steal my breath._" It was Li's voice that struck me. "_And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky, never revealing their depth._" Saying that he sang so beautifully would be the understatement of the year. It was the refined version of what I heard that night I passed by their house. It's like listening to the radio.

"_Tell me that we belong together.  
D__ress it up with the trappings of love.__  
I'll be captivated.__I'll hang from your lips  
instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above."_

Hiiragizawa-_senpai­ _was leading me out of the dance floor before I realized what was happening. _Man, that voice of his is really something._

"Who's that guy? He's so hot. O-M-G!"

"I wish he'd dance with me tonight…"

"The lead is really something too. Are they both upperclassmen?"

"Do you think I'll have a chance with either of them?"

The sound of squeals and sighs echoed all around me. _Girls these days… _But couldn't really blame them now, could I?

I sighed. How could I not realize until now that I'm surrounded by (quote–unquote) "hot" men?

I swallowed a gasp when my eyes made contact with Li's amber ones. It's as if they were swallowing me whole…

I could feel my cheeks burning. What the hell was I doing? _Shit. Shit…_ I knew I was blushing. How could I even stop that? _Gah. _

_Please stop staring at me like that!_ I almost shouted. But something was stopping me from doing so. There was a part of me that wanted him to look at me. – only me. I couldn't even bring myself to look away.

He grinned.

I gulped.

Is there a possibility in the world that he's singing this song for me?

Wait. Why would I even want that anyway?

There were just so many questions in my head that I didn't even know how to answer – one question after another. But did I really care?

…

…

…

I guess not. At least not at time like this when he's staring at me with that signature look on his face.

So what now?

I smiled.

It didn't matter either.

* * *

**A/N:** _Thank you very, very much for the reviews!_

_Uh, d__id that suck? Well… lol. This is kinda a past-time for me so I just hope you enjoyed reading that. ^_^_

_And __I'm really sorry if this appears to have no plot at all. I promise to work on that._

_Sorry for the late update. I have one hell of a busy schedule but I promise that I WILL update so please please please continue reading. ^_^_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own anything – although I really, really wish I do – which wouldn't really change a thing.

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"Damn. Will there be no end to the requests?!" Seichi exclaimed in exasperation. The band was allowed to take a half-an-hour break after their first seven songs and there was still a basket full of pieces of papers with song requests left untouched.

Takashi slumped on one of the chairs near the stage where they were allowed to rest. "I blame it on these two guys' popularity." He shot both Syaoran and Rai a weak glare – which was the only act of annoyance his present strength allowed him to do.

Rai stood with two hands on his pockets – a signature stance. "What? At least now we know that if we ever _do_ make it to the music business, we'd have fans."

"You two would." Takashi sighed. "I seriously need a girlfriend."

"_Oi_ Syaoran-_kun_, where are you going?" Seichi asked Syaoran who was heading towards another part of the lobby.

Syaoran shrugged. "To get a drink." He left without another word.

Seichi grinned. "Hey Rai."

Rai rolled his eyes. "I know, _baka_."

Takashi looked from Seichi's beaming face to Rai's irked one. _Was there something I missed?_

O.O.O.O.O

**Syaoran's P.O.V.**

I walked towards the most beautiful person in the room thinking to myself how much I was risking by even attempting to talk to her. I knew she didn't like being regarded as a girl – or at least something to that extent. But how could I not when she looked the way she did? Of course, that didn't change the fact that I still have to try _not_ to gawk at her like a drooling fool.

"Who dressed you, queer girl?" I grinned. That was a good start. At least I didn't go all gentleman on her.

She scowled. That was a good response too. "Would you believe me if I told you that I dressed myself up?"

I thought about for a moment. _Not a chance._ I shook my head. "I probably would if you came in a pirate costume."

She smacked my arm. I probably deserved that. "Hmp. Fine. Hiiragizawa-_senpai _had one of his maids dress me up. Could you believe it? Another rich, cocky, bastard in the house."

At that point, you couldn't blame me for laughing as hard as I did. "Who's the other one?" I didn't know if I pulled off the innocent act.

"Like you don't know who." She looked at me with an expression that I could not comprehend. That probably did it. I mean, what was with that face of hers anyway? She and her weird expressions.

I smiled. I could practically feel my teasing façade fading away. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. The only way to know for sure is to take my chances.

_I'm wondering the streets in a world underneath it all.  
But nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet as what I can't have  
– like you and the way that you're twisting you hair round you finger.  
Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you what I feel about you._

Teddy Geiger's song was exactly the kind of music I needed. Well, at least it went well with my mood.

Repositioning the mask over my eyes with one hand, I offered her the other.

She stared at me with what I assumed was a look of mixed confusion and innocence.

I chuckled. "What? You can dance right?" Actually, I was a little afraid she would turn me down…

O.O.O.O.O

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

I stared at Li's open hand in front of me. What was I supposed to do with it?

"What? You can dance right?" I must've looked like an idiot 'cause he was laughing. (Okay, just chuckling.)

Should I say yes or something? Although, I wasn't sure what it was that I saw reflecting in his eyes. Doubt? Nervousness? _Yeah right, as if he was even capable of those feelings._

Nevertheless, I took his hand and he led me to the dance floor without another word.

God, I swear something was wrong with me tonight 'cause I suddenly found it _incredibly_ hard to breathe! And who ever turned the air-conditioner off? Is it getting hot in here or what? _Damn. Breathe… In, out. In, out._

Li placed my left hand on his shoulder and held my right hand with his. We swayed slowly in tune with the rhythm of the music.

I practically kept my head down and would've even glued it to my chest if I could. I had no idea why but I just couldn't look at him in the eye. I _think _I was afraid of what I might see in them.

He was holding me so close that I could smell his perfume. It smelled _so_ nice. I knew it would forever be imprinted on my memory now on – the kind that would instantly remind me of him whenever and wherever I would catch the scent of it.

"Why are you so stiff, queer girl?" Why would it even matter "why"?

"I am _not _stiff." I gave it my best to sound sure of myself. "It's this dress that's making it so hard to move."

He was silent for a moment – thinking, perhaps. I wasn't sure what he could possibly be thinking about.

"You were dancing perfectly just a moment ago with Hiiragizawa-_senpai_, you know."

_Um… so? _ I looked up to him for the first time. He wasn't looking at me but was staring blankly to possibly a far corner of the lobby. Man, I swear this guy had been _so_ hard to read. I thought I had their species all figured out. I mean, I could read Hiiragizawa-_senpai_, Okina-_senpai _and all the others pretty well. There was the exemption of Mikage-_senpai…_ But still.

I unintentionally flinched when his piercing eyes made contact with mine. They were firm – strong. Again I got the feeling that his eyes were swallowing me whole.

"_Ne,_ Kinomoto…"

I looked at him with curiosity. This would be the first time that I will have such a serious conversation with him. At least I was assuming that this would be a serious one. Then again, I wasn't really sure because this is Li we're talking about.

He took a deep breath. "You know…" He let it hang again.

I just couldn't contain myself and watch him like this. What happened to the "cocky bastard"? What happened to that annoyingly arrogant Li that I have grown to really like? _Oops… Wait. Hold up for just one minute! I did not just think that, okay?_ Okay.

"Spit it out Li." This time, I looked at him with unwavering eyes.

Not that I would admit it, but there was this very, very small voice within me that was practically screaming at him. _C'mon Li. Just say you like me and get it over with! Say you like me too._

O.O.O.O.O

**Syaoran's P.O.V.**

I was taken aback by how strong her gaze held me. I was still contemplating on whether to actually tell her how I find her so interesting and fun to be with – whether to tell her I like her… a _lot _– or to just keep my mouth shut.

Whatever I choose, there would be pros and cons.

If I decide to tell her, I would get one of three possible reactions. One, she would never talk to me again and I would have accept the fact that I was too much of a loser to deserve her; two, she would take it as a joke; or three, if everything really goes well – which, chances are, the one with the least probability of happening – she would smile at me with those sparkling green eyes and say that she feels the exact, same way.

On the other hand, if I decide not to say anything, I would be able to keep our relationship the way it was now but somebody might beat me to the punch and I would lose her just like Okina-_senpai_ suggested. _Who knew that guy could make so much sense?_

I would have to choose the lesser of two evils. _Which was?_

I took another deep breath, the sweet smell of her hair filling my nostrils. There was something about it that was quite hypnotic. It wasn't helping at all.

"Sakura, I…"

And then T-Pain's voice rang in my ears. What about the mood I was going for?

Kinomoto removed the hand that was on my shoulder. Her face was expressionless. She led _me _out of the dance floor. Although, I kinda liked how she didn't remove her other hand from mine. _So, what now? _I just couldn't let it end this way, now could I? _Be a man. Be a man…_

I held on to her hand tighter, stopping her from her tracks. She looked at me with curiosity.

"Sakura." I made sure she heard me perfectly amidst the loud, unfitting music of T-Pain and Flo Rida. "I…"

O.O.O.O.O

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"Sakura I…" Was he really going to say it?

I held my breath. Part of me really wanted him to say that he liked me. Why? _Don't ask._ I had no idea why.

The feeling was something new to me. I had been around boys for, well, forever. I lived with a brother and a father and when I went to school, I instantly got along with most of the guys (not the girls). It went on 'til junior high and high school. And now that I was in college, I still hang out with guys. So when I started to feel awkward around Li, I didn't know what to make of it.

Maybe I do like him. Maybe even like, _like_ him…

_Mmmmmmmm…  
Let me talk to 'em.  
Let me talk to 'em._

_Damn T-Pain, _I cursed in thought. We couldn't sway to the danceable beat of the song now, could we?

I removed my hand from his shoulder and led him out of the dance floor, my right hand still holding his left. I could tell that he was annoyed by the sudden change of music too. _Funny._

Next time, he might be able to say something. Such a nice thought – "_next time_"_…_

Suddenly, his grip on my hand got tighter, which made me stop and turn to face him.

"Sakura." That was the second time he called me by my first name. Was this really happening?

At that moment, I couldn't even hear the song anymore. It was like my ears could only hear his voice and the fast beat of my heart that was beyond my control. And of course, there was that small, small voice again urging him to continue.

"I li–"

The sound of a phone ringing cut him off and made me release the air that I was holding in._ Damn my phone to hell! _Of all the times it could be ringing, why now? Why not yesterday? Or later? Or better yet, tomorrow?!

I sighed.

He sighed.

"You should answer it. It could be important."

I gave him a weak smile before fumbling for the god-damned gadget that I was keeping in the secret pocket the unbelievably heavy dress had. I flipped it open half-heartedly.

"_Mo–"_ My eyes were as wide as saucers when I realized who was at the other end. I knew the voice all too well that it only took me a split second to process. "_-nii-chan?!_" Oh _Kami-sama_, this means he's in Japan! He never called unless he was already in the country.

_Gah… _Hell is going to break loose soon.

* * *

**A/N:** _A million thanks to those who reviewed! I'm super happy that you guys read my work. As they say (they being my language professor – who wouldn't really count as a "they" but only a mere "she". But what the heck? "They" sounds more believable. lol.) – "Like a speaker needs his listeners, a writer needs readers to be really considered as a writer." (Or something like that… lol)_

_Oh, and the songs I used here were __"For You I Will (Confidence)" by Teddy Geiger__ and __"Low by Flo Rida and T-Pain._

_Short chapter. Then again, I want to keep it that way._

_So, Touya is coming! And Syaoran didn't get to tell her lol._

_Soon guys, I promise._

_Hope you enjoyed this._

_R&R please, and no flames. ^_^_

_Chapter 10 – Touya meets Syaoran. Dun dun dun… and the other guys of course! lol_

_Ja._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **_God. It's been three years! I'm so so so super sorry. Please don't hate me. LOL. But anyway, I can't NOT update it so here's Chapter 10. Thanks for all who review and put and the story in alert and/or in their favorites. _

_I wasn't able to proof read yet, 'cause I wanted to update as soon as possible. Anyway, enjoy. :)  
_

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

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**Chapter Ten**

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

I slipped out of the party as quietly as I could. I felt a little bad for leaving Syaoran after he… _What was he going to do, really? _I shook my head. _I don't have time for that now._

"_N-Nii-chan_?" I stammered over the phone.

"Where are you?" His voice had no humor, as always. "I'm on my way home."

_Shit. I knew it._ "I uh… I'm out with friends right now. We have a… problem set to finish." Well, I wasn't entirely lying. Half of it was true, anyway.

"I see." He fell silent. I could hear the sound of the engine and the other cars in the background.

_Did he see through my lie? _I gulped. "_Nii-chan_? You still there?"

"_Eh._" He sounded a little preoccupied. "I'll call you again when I get home. I have my keys anyway."

"_Wakatta_," I replied.

"_Ja._" He ended the call.

I flipped my phone close and sighed. I walked towards one of the larger stones lying around outside the department and slumped there, the phone still in my hand. Suddenly, I felt tired. "_Mou_." I moaned to myself. My brother just couldn't have picked a better time to come home.

I stood half-heartedly and tucked the phone back to the secret pocket of my annoyingly large dress. _I have to get home._

"Kinomoto." I turned around at the sound of my name. I felt a little bothered when I saw that it was Li standing behind me, his mask and Musketeer hat already removed. What happened to "Sakura"? Well, not that I cared what he call me. Whatever. _Right?_

"_Daijoubu ka?_" I wasn't sure if he looked concerned or apathetic.

"_Eh. _I guess." I smiled. "But I need to get home. _Eto…_ Something suddenly came up."

"I'll walk you." He started ahead of me and stopped about two steps from where I was standing. He turned to me and smiled. I couldn't really place it but something was weird with the way he did it. It felt like he didn't really mean it. "You probably want to say goodbye to _senpai-tachi_. I'll wait for you here."

_What's this feeling?_ I gripped the skirt of my dress tightly. I didn't know if I was irritated or sad. Maybe a little of both? But there's nothing to be irritated or sad about.

I looked down at the floor and ignored my uneasiness. "_Eh. Arigatou._" I turned around and headed back inside.

O.O.O.O.O

**Syaoran's P.O.V.**

I watched Saku – _Ie… Kinomoto _– as she walked back inside to the party. It was the second time I had to watch her walk away from me in one night; the first time when she got that phone call, from who I assumed to be her brother, and she had to get away from the noise to talk to him.

She had her head down, her hair covered her green eyes.

I walked to where she was sitting a few seconds ago, both hands in my pocket, and sat down.

Okina-_senpai_ had placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. It was the second time he had encouraged me, only this time, he didn't really say anything. It was like I read his mind: _Go after her. I know you want to._ Although there was an underlying threat in the way he looked at me: _If you don't, I bet you, someone else is going to._

I shook my head. _Good and bad things come in two, eh? _I laughed to myself.

I had to admit, I was a little disappointed – _okay, scratch the "little" part_ – when Kinomoto just up and went when I was about to spill my guts out. But then, I _did_ tell her to answer it.

I scratched my head, annoyed at myself. _What's wrong with me?_ Reading other people had always been my specialty, and I always knew how best to act around different personalities.

I've watched tons of DVD's about detectives, read about Sherlock Holmes, and even watched a few hundred episodes and the first two movies of an anime about that high school detective who was turned back to a child by some syndicate's drug. People reveal who they are whether they like it or not; in their mannerisms, in their way of speaking, etc. 'If you want to read people, you got to observe their every action and respond in a way that will be most favorable to you in the future.' It was my mother who told me this when I was I a kid. And I was raised to uphold her so-called truth.

_Ja, nande?_ I sighed. It was the very first time that I had trouble dealing with a situation. Was it even a situation though? _She's just a girl, for crying out loud!_ I scratched my head, more vigorously this time. _This is infuriating._

"Li?" _Shit. This day just couldn't get any worse can it?_

"K-Kinomoto!" I turned, flustered, and tried to smile.

Kinomoto raised an eyebrow at me. "I don't know if I should ask what you were doing or if I should just laugh."

I sighed. "Just…" I considered it for a moment then smiled. "Just laugh."

I stood from the stone. "_Ikou._"

O.O.O.O.O

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

When I walked back inside, I was feeling nervous, uneasy, irritated, sad, and probably a few more emotions I wasn't sure what to call yet.

Frankly, I'm not an emotional person – far from it, actually. I don't dwell on sadness and I don't like confusing myself with things like love.

I shivered involuntarily at the thought. _Love. Yeah right._

I said my goodbyes quick, saying that I had something going on at home and I needed to go home. All in all, I guess they understood what I wanted to say with few words; Hiiragizawa-_senpai_ simply smiled and told me to take care; Mikage-_senpai_ looked at me meaningfully and nodded; Okina-_senpai_ hugged me and we sorta made a little scene when I tried to get out of it but to no avail since my dress wouldn't allow me to move anyway; and Yamazaki-_senpai_ was nowhere to be found so I just told them to tell him I said goodbye.

When I walked back out, it was then that I saw Syaoran ruffling his hair. I watched him silently from the side. Obviously, he had something on his mind since he didn't realize I was back.

I took a moment to take in his features – the messy hair, the lean figure, the long legs… _He really does look good… Doesn't he?_ I shook my head. Like I said, I don't like thinking about these things.

I smiled to myself. The irritated feelings I had earlier were gone. And I guess it has something to do with the way Syao… - _Ie, Li, his name is Li_ – looked. Maybe I just wouldn't get enough of him. _For now, at least…_ That much, I guess, I was willing to admit.

He ruffled his hair again, this time he looked annoyed at something.

"Li?" I willed myself not to laugh.

"K-Kinomoto!" he turned, looking flustered. His smiled was crooked but cute.

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if I should ask what you were doing or if I should just laugh." I tried my best to sound serious.

He sighed. "Just…" He seemed thoughtful for a moment. He smiled his charming smile. "Just laugh." He then stood from the stone and said, "_Ikou._"

I followed him, smiling when his back turned.

O.O.O.O.O

**Normal P.O.V.**

Syaoran and Sakura walked silently through familiar streets. Neither of them wanted to say anything about the party and the weird mix of emotions that followed. And though they couldn't read each other's disposition, to some extent they knew that the silence was what they both needed at the time.

Sakura still had her brother to think about. She took one look at her dress and knew that his brother would see through her lie at once. _Who on earth wears a red ball gown to study group? _She sighed.

Syaoran glanced at her the corner of his eye. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She smiled weakly. "I uh… sorta need a change of clothes."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you're going home?"

She bobbed her head. "Well, _nii-chan_ is on his way home. And I kinda told him I was with friends working on a problem set." She stuck her tongue out.

He looked at her with suspicious eyes. "Problem set?" He eyed her from head to toe. "Right. Even I would buy that." His sarcasm was over flowing. He felt his spirits lift a little, being able to talk to her the way he used to be.

She smacked him in the arm. _This is the way it should be._ She smiled. "Thus, the 'I need a change of clothes' remark."

"Let's come by our place first." Syaoran looked at the road ahead. The streetlights shone brightly under the starless, night sky.

Her heart skipped a beat. "_N-Nande?_"

He chuckled. "You wanted a change of clothes, right? I'll lend you some of Meiling's."

She exhaled. "_Nanda._ That's why." She chuckled.

"Why else?" He glanced at her. "Queer girl."

She smacked his arm again. "Rich, cocky bastard."

She stared at the back of his head, her head calm and serene. She loved the way they treated each other, like childhood friends who had known each other for a long time. Of course, a part of her wished that she knew more about him.

The honk of a car made both of them turn around. Headlights blinded them instantly and they both covered their eyes.

"What gives?" Sakura walked behind Syaoran to shield her from the light. "That driver's lost it."

Syaoran remained silent and waited for the car to pass. He slightly raised one arm protectively when it instead stopped in front of them. The passenger side window rolled down.

"Sakura."

Sakura's eyes were wide. She'd recognize the voice anywhere. "_N-N-Nii-chan_?" She half shouted.

"_Nii-chan_?" Syaoran looked at Sakura, a little shocked.

Touya Kinomoto opened the driver's door and stepped out of his silver sedan. "What are you doing here?" His eyes pierced through the shining headlights.

"_Eto… Sono…_ I…" She was at a total loss for words. She cursed continuously cursed herself in thought and wanted to ran away right then. She'd even thought of pretending not to know him, or the "Sakura" he was talking about.

Touya turned to Syaoran, one of his eyebrows quirked. "And who is _this_?"

"This is…" Sakura looked at Syaoran pleadingly. _Kami-sama. Help me. _She almost cried.


End file.
